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This report highlights the achievements of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) over four decades, detailing specific campaigns against extractive industries, pollution, and unsustainable development. It documents legal victories, such as the ban on open-pit mining in Costa Rica and the recognition of water as a human right in Uruguay, as well as grassroots successes in reforestation in Belgium and the protection of eucalyptus forests in Australia. The text emphasizes the role of international solidarity and legal action in challenging neoliberal globalization and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.

The report documents various environmental and social justice campaigns led by Friends of the Earth (FoE) member groups across the globe. Key achievements include the 2008 UK Climate Change Act, a ban on open-pit metal mining in Costa Rica (2010), and the cessation of commercial whaling in Spain (1985). The document also details ongoing resistance against coal-fired power plants in Germany and Scotland, gas flaring in Nigeria, and the impact of large-scale dams in Mozambique, South Korea, and the Philippines. It emphasizes a strategy of combining grassroots mobilization, legal challenges, and international solidarity to combat corporate globalization and protect indigenous and community rights.

The document reports that only 40% of the original tropical dry forests in the Americas remain, with only 4.5% (23,417 km2) under protection. Satellite data from 1982 to 2006 shows divergent productivity trends: increases in the Llanos of Venezuela and Colombia, northern Mexico, and the Chaqueña region of Argentina and Bolivia, but decreases in other parts of Mexico and the Brazilian Caatinga. These shifts are linked to global warming's impact on precipitation and humidity. The text warns that declining productivity reduces carbon storage and water retention, while increased productivity may inadvertently encourage further deforestation and agricultural intensification. It advocates for expanded protection, sustainable land management, and economic incentives like payments for environmental services and REDD+ to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The report analyzes Belgium's 2002 Model BIT, finding that it follows a traditional European model that prioritizes extensive investor protection over host-state regulatory autonomy. It highlights significant risks in the treaty's broad definitions of 'investment' and 'investor', the lack of transparency in investor-state dispute settlement, and the aspirational nature of its environmental and labour clauses. The author argues that Belgium needs to modernize its model to safeguard its right to regulate and to ensure that investment treaties support sustainable development.

The document assesses how Indonesia's shift from a protected to an open economy has affected its SMEs, which constitute over 90% of all firms. Despite facing significant institutional constraints—such as lack of capital, technology, and skilled labor—the author finds no evidence that trade liberalization has negatively impacted the overall number or GDP contribution of Indonesian SMEs. While most SMEs remain domestically focused or export indirectly through intermediaries, the paper argues that a free-trade regime generally provides more long-term benefits than protectionism, provided that supporting policies for human resource and technological upgrading are implemented.

The report critiques 'Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries' (REDD), claiming it risks exacerbating inequality and privatizing forest resources. It highlights how energy companies use REDD for greenwashing while continuing fossil fuel extraction. Through case studies in Indonesia, Mexico, Paraguay, and others, the document illustrates failures in community consultation, the risk of 'leakage' where deforestation simply shifts location, and the danger of including monoculture plantations in carbon accounting. It concludes that REDD should be decoupled from volatile carbon markets and instead based on public funding and the recognition of Indigenous land rights.

The action list from the 30th Meeting of the IAI Executive Council, held on 11 June 2010 in Brasilia, Brazil, outlines administrative decisions, diplomatic outreach strategies to strengthen member country relations, and the formation of a group to develop a strategic plan.

The 30th Executive Council (CE) meeting of the IAI established its new leadership, committed to improving member country engagement through national UNFCCC contact points, and initiated the development of a strategic plan to be approved at the next CoP.

The document is a participant directory for the 17th Conference of the Parties (CoP) held in Brasília, Brazil, on June 9-10, 2010. It lists representatives from various countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the United States, Mexico, Paraguay, and Venezuela, as well as observers from the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OTCA) and staff from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI).

This document is a participant list for the 29th Executive Council (EC) meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, held on June 8, 2010, in Brasília, Brazil.

The document analyzes the 40-year history of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), identifying its strengths in promoting public engagement and its failures in baseline data quality and mitigation enforcement. It argues that Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) can avoid these pitfalls by adopting specific procedural improvements, such as earlier implementation, broader definitions of affected parties, and external monitoring of mitigation measures.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) planned a series of training institutes and science programs between July 2010 and June 2011, focusing on seasonal climate predictions, urban responses to climate change, and biodiversity in the Andes. Key initiatives included a MacArthur Foundation project to assess research and institutional needs for Andean biodiversity and a research internship program with IAI-INPE/CPTEC.

The report examines how Latin American countries responded to the 2006–08 food price crisis, noting a prevalence of short-term 'coping' strategies over long-term 'curing' measures. While social programs in countries like Brazil and Mexico improved food access for the poor, trade-oriented responses often increased barriers, hindering regional cooperation. The document argues for a balanced approach that combines social protection with investments in agricultural research and development to address structural vulnerabilities.

The IAI's annual plan for 2010-2011 focuses on four training institutes, scientific synthesis meetings, and the implementation of the MacArthur Project concerning Andean biodiversity. Key activities include training on seasonal climate predictions in Argentina, city responses to climate change in Chile, and land-use changes in Paraguay. The scientific program includes hydrology and climate modeling, as well as a new proposal to the MacArthur Foundation regarding climate impacts on tropical Andean biodiversity. The plan also details a project to assess institutional and research needs in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia to address climate effects on biodiversity.

The IAI Directorate Report details a period of significant scientific productivity contrasted with a severe core funding crisis caused by member country non-payments. While the institute successfully advanced research on ecosystem boundaries, urban emissions, and Andean biodiversity, it faced operational disruptions, including temporary salary halts and the cancellation of travel for international climate negotiations. The report emphasizes the transition of the IAI from a funding agency to an active participant in science-policy dialogue and highlights the need for sustainable financial commitments from member states.

The report analyzes the financial burden on U.S. states that rely on imported coal, identifying those with the highest spending and per capita costs. It highlights a trend of increasing dependence on coal from Wyoming and international sources, particularly in the Southeast and Midwest. The authors argue that these states can redirect funds from coal imports toward energy efficiency and homegrown renewables to create local jobs and reduce carbon emissions.

The report identifies 38 U.S. states as net importers of coal in 2008, with 11 states spending over $1 billion each on these imports. It highlights a growing dependence on coal from Wyoming and international sources, particularly in the Southeast and Midwest. The authors argue that states can mitigate these economic losses and environmental damages by investing in energy efficiency and homegrown renewables.

In 2008, Alabama imported 79% of the coal used for its electricity generation, resulting in a net expenditure of $1.39 billion. The state's electricity mix was dominated by coal (51.1%) and nuclear (26.7%). Alabama spent the most per person ($297) and the most relative to gross state product (0.82%) on net coal imports compared to other US states. To reduce this dependence, the document suggests investing in energy efficiency—noting that Alabama spent only 49 cents per person on such programs in 2007—and utilizing renewable resources which could technically meet 56% of the state's 2008 power demand.

Florida imported all the coal used by its power plants in 2008, resulting in over $1.56 billion leaving the state economy. The document argues that investing in energy efficiency and homegrown renewables, such as biomass, solar, and offshore wind, can reduce this dependence and stimulate local economic growth.

In 2008, Georgia was the highest spender on net coal imports in the United States, sending $2.62 billion out of state. The state's electricity generation relied on coal for 62.7% of its power despite having no internal coal supplies. The document argues that investing in energy efficiency and homegrown renewables, such as biomass from the forestry industry, solar, and wind, could improve energy independence and local economic development.